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Tottenham cannot finish in the top four without Christian Eriksen

By Rucker Haringey

Tottenham Hotspur's Portuguese head coach Jose Mourinho (R) speaks to Tottenham Hotspur's Danish midfielder Christian Eriksen during the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Brighton and Hove Albion at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, on December 26, 2019. (Photo by Tolga AKMEN / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by TOLGA AKMEN/AFP via Getty Images)
Tottenham Hotspur's Portuguese head coach Jose Mourinho (R) speaks to Tottenham Hotspur's Danish midfielder Christian Eriksen during the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Brighton and Hove Albion at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, on December 26, 2019. (Photo by Tolga AKMEN / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by TOLGA AKMEN/AFP via Getty Images) /
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Jose Mourinho desperately wants to guide Tottenham to a top four finish this season. Spurs must keep Christian Eriksen to accomplish that goal. 

Tottenham have no chance of winning the Premier League title this season, but a top four finish is a reachable goal for Jose Mourinho. If he wants to guide Spurs to another season of Champions League football, he’ll need to make sure he continues to employ a creative spark in the middle of his midfield.

The easiest way for Tottenham to retain that spark would be to resist the temptation to sell Christian Eriksen this January. The talented Danish midfielder is free to leave Spurs at the end of the season via a free transfer. In other words, Daniel Levy only has one more chance to receive a transfer fee for his services.

Short-term finances might motivate Tottenham to sell their Danish maestro, but if Spurs really want to secure a top four finish they need to hang on to him. Interestingly, that might secure the club more money over the long haul. Champions League qualification is still an important economic engine for the club.

The only other reasonable alternative would be to spend big on an Eriksen replacement in January. It’s highly unlikely that Tottenham have the financial might to make that sort of move next month. Even if Spurs do have the required money to make that sort of purchase, it might be difficult to identify a readymade replacement for Eriksen. At the very least, it would present Mourinho and his managerial staff with a substantial risk.

The other issue at play here is what the Tottenham dressing room thinks of Eriksen at the moment. It seems that most of his peers are understanding of his desire for a new challenge. However, if Mourinho chooses to insert him into the starting XI on a regular basis that sentiment could change drastically. To date, he’s only been used as a change of pace from the bench by his new manager.

Next. Tottenham must focus on their fullbacks in January. dark

The ultimate point to understand is that Spurs aren’t a Champions League level side without a talented No. 10 to pull the strings for their attack. Eriksen has filled that role capably for quite a few years. Tottenham must understand just how important that sort of player is to their team if they want to overtake Chelsea for the No. 4 spot in the Premier League. Missing that kind of spark will only relegate Spurs to the Europa league next year.

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